Alabama Snow Wreath

{{{This post was written for my website A Southern Garden}}}

This shrub is blooming beautifully in my garden today!

Alabama Snow Wreath
(Neviusia alabamensis)

Native to the southeastern U.S.
Mature Height: 3-6 ft.
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil: Moist, well-drained, not picky
Light Requirements: Sun/partial shade
Foliage: 1" - 2" long medium green leaves, deciduous, alternate with sharp-toothed margins
Flower/Fruit: White protruding stamens in early spring
Hardy to Zone 4

Discovered in 1857 by Reverend Reuben Denton Nevius on a bluff above the Black Warrior River near Tuscaloosa, this is a rare shrub not often seen in nurseries or gardens. I obtained mine from a local nursery that specializes in native plants but it can also be purchased at Forest Farm (www.forestfarm.com).

The shrub forms arching branches that eventually form a rounded mound. The flowers (which are actually stamens) appear very early, as soon as other plants are leafing out. They resemble a spirea or maybe a loropetalum in appearance. I have mine growing underneath a yoshino cherry tree where it receives dappled shade. It has bloomed reliably but never densely (more profuse bloom would probably be achieved with more sun). I have been told that the shrub can sucker in rich, moist soils but so far, this has not been a problem.

After blooming, the shrub is fairly nondescript and there is no fall color. Alabama Snow Wreath would be right at home in a woodland garden or in a border mixed with other early spring-flowering shrubs.